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Humidity Issues in IT Data Centers

There are three concerns with humidity in a data centers depending on the type of equipment in the data center

Resolution:

High humidity:

* High humidity can lead to condensation on equipment.

Low humidity:

* Very low humidity can lead to excess static electricity.
* Tape drive operation - Humidity can dramatically affect a tape drive’s ability to read and write data. Humidity may affect the longevity of the magnetic coating on the tape. This is because high humidity causes the surface of the tape to become gummy. The ideal operating conditions tend to be listed as part of the media packaging.

Fluctuations in humidity:

* Large fluctuations in humidity can cause circuit boards to expand and contract, damaging circuitry
* Tape drives and media may require a normalization if changes in humidity of 5% an hour occur.

The default setting for NetBotz Appliances are 20-50% which may be conservative depending on the equipment in the data center. A range of 20 to 80% may be acceptable in most environments, you should refer to original equipment specifications.